Evernote is a cloud-based note-taking and information storage service that allows you to store free-form notes and documents in digital notebooks. Your notebooks and notes are available through the Evernote mobile and desktop apps and at Evernote.com. Evernote automatically stores documents as searchable PDFs. This makes it an ideal way to store receipts digitally. After you store a receipt in Evernote, you can search for it by entering the merchant name, amount or the date into the search function.

Keep It Simple

The simplest way to store receipts in Evernote is to take a picture of the receipt with your cell phone camera. Open the Evernote app on your cell phone and click the camera icon in the bottom toolbar. Swipe the menu to the left to select the "Document" option and then follow the instructions to take a photograph of your receipt. Evernote creates a new note in your default notebook with the photograph of the receipt. It attempts to create a meaningful title for the note based on your location and any recent reminders you have set up. This method is best for storing occasional receipts. It can get cumbersome if you need to scan and store several receipts a day or if you have a backlog of receipts you want to scan and store in Evernote.

Scan Directly to Evernote

If you have a large number of receipts to scan, a desktop scanner can simplify the task. Some newer scanner models have a "Scan to Evernote" feature, which uses your unique Evernote email address to send scanned documents, such as receipts, to your Evernote account. If your scanner does not have this feature, you can manually configure it to email scanned documents to your Evernote email address.

There's an App for That

Scanner Pro is an iPhone and iPad app that is designed to scan documents into Evernote. Its strength is in scanning multipage documents. If you want to create a single note with all your receipts from a business trip, for example, you could use Scanner Pro to scan them all into a single multipage PDF that is automatically imported into Evernote. The DocScanner app is a multiplatform app that performs minor image editing, such as removing shadows and sharpening text before uploading your receipt images to Evernote.

Full-Service Receipt Scanning

If you don't have the time to scan all your receipts, consider using Shoeboxed, a Web-based scanning service that takes your paper receipts and other documents, scans them and then uploads them to your Evernote account. You put your receipts and documents into a designated Shoeboxed envelope and mail it to a processing center. Shoeboxed scans and verifies the documents and then files them appropriately in your Evernote notebooks. Shoeboxed is the most expensive option, with mail-in plans starting at $9.95 per month. However, it may be the best choice for busy professionals and others who do not have time to scan receipts but need to keep their financial documents organized digitally.

About the Author

Tricia Ballad is a writer, author and project geek. She has written several books including two novels, teaches classes on goal setting and project planning for writers, and loves to cook in her spare time. She is living proof that you can earn a living with a degree in creative writing.